Author: Cody L. Christensen
This table lists the 100 master’s degree programs where the earnings premium of their former graduates are the farthest below the predicted earnings level by the largest margin. These programs come from a variety of sectors and fields of study. Specifically, 36 are offered at public colleges, 57 are at private colleges, and 7 are at for-profit colleges. Forty-eight of the programs are in Health-related fields, 15 are in Business fields, 13 are in STEM fields, and 11 are in Liberal Arts. Twenty-one of the 100 programs have positive earnings premiums, meaning they typically leave their graduates “better off” relative to bachelor’s degree holders in the same state. That said, these 21 programs still leave their graduates with earnings levels that are well below what would have been predicted of them given the program type and characteristics.
See Christensen (2023) for how a program’s Earning Premium is measured and defined. Predicted Earnings Premiums are determined using the regression specified in Appendix D of the same report. All earnings amounts are in constant 2016 dollars adjusted using CPI. Actual and predicted earnings premiums are rounded to the nearest whole dollar, which is why the difference may not sum to the exact number.